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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Hall of Leafs

Syl Apps1936-43, 1945-48 Apps was the first winner of the Calder Trophy, given to rookie of the year. His 10 seasons were interrupted by World War II, but they included three Stanley Cups. He had 432 points in 423 games. Plus, Apps was great inspirational leader and a great athlete -- he was a national champion and Olympic pole vaulter.
Dave Keon1960-75 Not only was Keon a relentless checking center, he produced these statistics: In 1,062 regular-season games in 14 seasons with the Leafs, he had 858 points (365 goals, 493 assists) while picking up only 75 penalty minutes. He won four Stanley Cups, the Calder Trophy, two Lady Byng trophies and a Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Ted 'Teeder' Kennedy1942-55, 1956-57 Tenacity and competitive spirit made up for Kennedy's lack of pure skills, and he became an outstanding leader. Kennedy played on five Cup teams and was league MVP in his final season. He had a scoring touch, and he was among the game's greatest faceoff men.
Joe Primeau1927-36 Primeau centered the Kid Line, with Charlie Conacher and Harvey Jackson on the wings. He was a smooth playmaker, a tenacious checker and penalty killer and earned the nickname "Gentleman Joe" for his clean play.
Bob Pulford1956-70 In the late '50s and '60s, the popular phrase was, "As Pulford goes, so go the Leafs." In 14 seasons, he made his mark as "the hockey player's hockey player" -- a hard-working, two-way center who was a key to the Leafs' four Cups in the 1960s.
Darryl Sittler1970-82 No. 1 in goals (389), second in assists (527) and the first Leaf to score more than 100 points in a season. He was good for more than a point per game -- 916 in 844 games. They came in bunches. On February 7, 1976, against Boston, Sittler scored six goals and assisted on four others.
Norm Ullman1967-75 The best center who ever played for Punch Imlach, Ullman shunned the limelight but made a name for himself as a bull terrier on skates. He was highly underrated, because he was an excellent stickhandler, strong skater and durable performer. His misfortune was to arrive after the Leafs' dynasty of the 1960s.
Red kelly
Doug Gilmour
Mats Sundin
George Armstrong1949-50, 1951-71 "The Chief" was Leafs captain for 13 seasons. He was a great leader who made himself a terrific all-around player. While playing for four Stanley Cups winners in the '60s, he was at his best in the crunch -- 20 goals and 20 assists in 45 playoff games.
Irvine 'Ace' Bailey1926-34 Bailey's career was cut short by a skull fracture that nearly took his life, but in 7 1/2 seasons he was the team's outstanding scorer and defensive star. He was the cornerstone of the team when it became the Maple Leafs, and he played on one Cup winner.
Charlie Conacher1929-38 Conacher was a great right winger with a bullet shot. While a member of the renowned Kid Line, he won two scoring titles and was the NHL's top goal scorer five times. Conacher was a three-time first team All-Star and a Hall of Famer who had 200 goals and 324 points in 326 games.
Gord Drillon1936-42 In an era when 20-goal seasons were outstanding, Drillon averaged 22.2 goals in a seven-year career, including six seasons with the Leafs. Twice a first-team All-Star, he won one Cup and led the league in scoring in 1937-38. His Leafs totals include 242 points in 262 games, and just 42 penalty minutes.
Frank Mahovlich1956-68 Beginning with his Rookie of the Year award, "the Big M" was adept at collecting awards -- four Cups with the Leafs, numerous All-Star selections and a terrific 48-goal campaign in 1960-61. In addition to his 597 points with Toronto, he proved rough and tough by gathering 782 penalty minutes.
Harvey 'Busher' Jackson1929-39 Jackson was a three-time scoring king and a Cup winner in 1931-32. He also was a first-team All-Star four times. Jackson holds the distinction of playing on two of the Leafs' greatest lines -- the Kid Line with Charlie Conacher and Joe Primeau, and with Syl Apps and Gord Drillon.
Dave 'Sweeney' Schriner1939-43, 1944-46 Russian-born players aren't new; Schriner was born in Russia in 1911 and moved to Canada as a child. He was acquired in trade for five players, and proved his worth by playing on two Stanley Cup winners.
Eddie Shack1960-67, 1973-75 One night he leveled two Rangers, earning the handle "Clear the Track" Shack. A member of the great Leafs teams of the '60s, he had some memorable battles with Montreal's Henri Richard. He once told the fuming Richard: "Henri, don't get so upset. It's not your fault God gave all the hockey talent to your brother."
Rick Vaive
Wendle Clark
Gary Leeman
Steve Thomas
Alex Mogilny
Gary Roberts
Tim Horton
Borge Salming
Al Iafrate
Dimitri Yushkievich
Tomas Kaberle
Bryan McCabe
Turk Broda
Johnn Bower
Terry Sawchuk
Mike Palmateer
Felix Potivin
Curtis Joseph
Ed Belfour

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